How to Choose the Right AV Cabinet

How to Choose the Right AV Cabinet

If you are like many Americans, you’ve set up a home theater somewhere in your home. A good home theater system will include a projector or large high-definition TV, a surround sound system with subwoofers, adjustable lighting and comfortable seating for everyone. One thing that may not be taken into consideration is the AV cabinet where you place all your electronics. The AV cabinet serves several purposes in your home theater. Its first purpose is to provide a safe place for all your electronics, including your receiver, Blu-ray player, and cable or satellite box. Secondly, it should help to keep all of your equipment cool and while protecting it all from dust. Finally, it should add to the décor of your room, not take away from it. With this in mind, here are a few tips to help you choose the perfect AV cabinet for your home theater.

Power – A good AV cabinet will provide you with an easy way to get power to all your equipment. It should allow you to easily manage all the cables and provide a place for a power conditioner as well. A power conditioner will protect your equipment from electrical surges and ensure that you’re getting the best experience.

Cooling – One of the most important features of an AV cabinet should be its ability to keep your equipment cool. While many AV cabinets simply use convection to cool, a good cabinet will have a complete AV cabinet cooling system. It will have ultra-quiet fans to circulate air in the cabinet and provide cabinet cooling.

Access – The AV cabinet should provide you with excellent access to the equipment installed within it. Some cabinets will give you a rotating base or slide out racks to give you more access to the sides and rear of your equipment, making installation and removal easier. If there’s a specific access feature you need, a custom AV cabinet will be the way to go.

Design – Unless you’re going to be placing your AV cabinet in a different room, you need to also consider the design of your AV cabinet. You want something that’s going to add to your home theater. A good high quality cabinet will add elegance to your home theater and blend in with your other furniture.

Stability – Once you’ve chosen your AV cabinet, you’ll want to place your equipment in it correctly. Your heavier items, such as amplifiers, should go near the bottom to make it more stable.

When you’re trying to find the perfect AV cabinet, keep these tips in mind. Whether you decide on an AV cabinet with doors, or one that’s designed to be set up in an adjoining room, you want to make sure that it’s going to do its job of protecting your AV equipment. It should keep your equipment cool, have a way to limit the amount of dust entering your system, and provide you with easy access to the various components in your system. It should also be stylish and fit in with the look of your home theater.